The other day I was walking my dog when a somewhat poorly-dressed man approached us. Normally, I would have avoided him, or at least tried to hurry past any encounter we might have. But, because the dog is a friendly type, we stopped. He smiled, petting the dog and inquiring about his name, breed and disposition. After a short conversation, he hit me with the sales pitch: he was trying to drum up business in the area for any handyman work. I apologized and told him I didn’t need it, but I would certainly pass the information on to a few friends who do.
Why would I go out of my way for a complete stranger like that? Simply because he figured out the number one rule in marketing: sell yourself with kindness and a smile. He showed an active interest in something that was important in my life (the dog) and was…well, friendly. Had he approached and immediately launched into a sales pitch, I would have ignored it, or at least forgotten it as soon as we moved on. And, as a marketing professional, I’m the most jaded of people when it comes to “falling” for the pitch!
No amount of slick advertising, or database research or gimmicks will ever replace the true, heartfelt friendliness of one-on-one interaction. Remember that when approached by customers. They don’t congregate in groups, or fit stereotypes, or fall into demographics. They’re real people, who approach you on a one-on-one basis, and like nothing more that to be valued, heard, and appreciated.
So give them your attention. Your smile. Your ear. If you do that with sincerity, they’ll buy…and keep buying…and tell their friends to buy. And that’s more valuable than any direct mail or email campaign.
Now, I need to go tell my friends about this terrific handyman Rascal and I met…
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